Rich Johnson was born in Ashington in 1971 and was brought up in the North Northumberland countryside.

A generally bone idle art student, he got the A-Level grade his efforts deserved and went on to study English Literature and History at degree level, and has an MA in Creative Writing from Cardiff University.

He taught English in a state school in the West Midlands for ten years before returning to live in the Scottish borders to see whether all those years of doodling during meetings could be turned into a way of life.

He lives with his wife Laura Johnson and teaches English and Art part-time in order to feed the cats.